Bottle drier



B. ELBOUM BOTTLE DRIER May 13, 1941.

Filed July 24, 1939 7090 for @Mm/ Patented May 13, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT GFE'EQE 14 Claims.

This invention, a bottle drier, is designed for the purpose of wiping the moisture 01f of bottles as they are served from the usual wet cooler.

Bottles containing various soft and other types of drinks are usually kept in a wet cooler, which is either of the mechanical or of the ice-refrigeration type, and in which the bottles are immersed in a bath of water at a low temperature to keep the drinks cold. This low temperature is maintained either by the addition of ice, or through the medium of cooling coils of the mechanical refrigeration type.

When a bottle is removed from the cooling bath, it must either be served wet, and in which condition it will leave a deposit of water on the bar, counter or table, and obviously, the customer can only expect wet hands when drinking or pouring from the bottle, or, the bottle must be wiped oli or dried with a towel, this last procedure being. time consuming and not meeting the highest sanitary standards.

It was for the purpose of overcoming these unsatisfactory conditions and requirements that the invention described and claimed herein, was evolved, and provides a drier which wipes both, the sides and the bottom of the bottle, conveniently and quickly, and assures sanitary conditions.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:

First; to provide an apparatus which will dry the sides and bottom of a bottle merely by insertion and removal of the bottle.

Second; to provide an apparatus of the type outlined which operates efiiciently without the inclusion of mechanical devices.

Third; to provide an apparatus of the type outlined in which the wiping of a bottle acts to at least partly recondition the wiping elements for subsequent wiping operations.

.Fourth; to introduce, in the event high capacity is required, auxiliary reconditioning means for the wiping elements.

In describing this invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a modification in which a lip is formed at the upper end of the wiping element of Fig. 1.

ing the operation of the invention and the reconditioning effect created by the wiping operation.

Fig. 5 is a modification of the wiping means of Fig. 3.

In the preferred form of the invention, the bottle drier consists of a casing I!) made of noncorrodable material and having a bottom l I which is suitably perforated as indicated at l2 to permit circulation of air for drying the wiping material It, which is formed as a liner for the casing. This Wiping "material may consist of any suitable absorbent material, such as natural, cellulose, or rubber sponge, or textile or cellulosic materials or any other material which is suitably resilient, stable and absorbent.

The wiping element [3, if formed of material having suitable porosity, may be used in its natural state in which the air will circulate through the material and through .the holes 52. Additional holes It may be formed in the side walls of the casing In to increase the rate of circulation and consequently, the speed of drying of the wiping element.

When the wiping element is made of material lacking suitable porosity for quick drying, vertical holes or passages l5 are formed through the material for drainage and air circulation, thus increasing the capacity of the apparatus.

These drain passages increase the resiliency of the body of material which forms the wiping element and thus the wiping element can be made of more or less resilient material.

When a bottle is pushed down inside the wiping element as indicated in Fig. 4, the inner portion I6 of the material is forced outwardly and is compressed, and this compression squeezes water ll into the passage i5; this eiieot being introduced throughout the depth of the wiping pocket l8 and thus, while the bottle is being wiped it partly reconditions the wiping element for subsequent operations, and thus the wiping element never reaches a condition of saturation and will continue to suitably wipe bottles due to the squeezing action of the bottle on the wiping material during both, insertion and removal of the bottle.

The pocket i8 terminates in a bottom It which is formed of material similar to that of the balance of the wiping element, and this bottom removes water from the bottom of the bottle, and when the bottle is pressed down on this bottom, it squeezes water from this bottom portion l9, which water drains through the apertures [2 in the event that the bottom portion 19 approaches a condition of saturation.

'to fit the bottle 23 at a point 22 on the neck,

and to more effectively wipe restricted portions 24 of bottles. However, the high degree of resiliency of the material makes the form shown in Fig. 1 suitably effective, since the inside diameter of the wiping pocket is made slightly less than the diameter of the restricted portion 24 of the bottle.

When higher capacity is required, a fan 25 with its driving motor 26 is installed in the pedestal or base 27 and this fan may be operated in either direction, to either draw air down through the passages l and discharge through openings 28, or, .to take air through openings 28 and discharge it through the passages l5, this action being coincidently effective through coarse pores.

This drying may be further augmented by associating a heating unit with the apparatus, either in the walls or above, (not shown) or as indicated at 29 where the heating element is supported in the base by the insulating brackets 39 and suitably protected from drainage by a hood 3|.

Water draining from the wiping element drains into the bottom 32 of the base and may be withdrawn through the drain 33.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 3 consists of a casing 34 of non-corrodable material and terminating in a base 35 and having a bottom 36- spaced a suitable distance above th bottom of the base to permit suitable depression of the plunger 31 which is formed of tubular material to coincidently form drainags means. This plunger operates through a suitable bearing 38 formed through the bottom 36.

The upper end of the plunger 3! has a piston 39 attached to it and this piston is slidable within the casing 34 and has a plurality of drain and air-circulating passages 40 similar to the bottom ll of Fig. 1, and has mounted on its top surface a pad 4| of absorbent material, and a compression spring 42 cooperates between the undersurface of the piston 39 and the top surface of the bottom 36, and this spring functions to raise the bottle at least sufiiciently high so that the bottle may be conveniently gripped to remove it from the wiper, and can be made to force the bottle clear out of'the wiping element i3 which is in the form of an elastic squeegee formed as a diaphragm with a central aperture through Which the bottle is pushed and withdrawn, and which diaphragm is peripherally clamped as indicated at M and provided with drain passages 5 for drainage .of water accumulated when the bottle 23 is forced down through the diaphragm. This diaphragm is preferably formed of comparatively thin soft rubber or-other suitable squeegee material which will easily spread sufficiently to allow the bottle to pass through. 7

Instead of this disc-type squeegee, one consisting of two circular series of sectors of resilient material like that shown in Fig. 5, may be used, and in which the two series are relatively staggered'as indicated by the solid lines for the upper series 46 and by the dotted lines for the lower series 41. These sectors would obviously be formed of less. resilient material than that shown in Fig. 3.

In operation, when a bottle is-tobc-served, it

22, or is raised clear out of the wiping element,

depending upon the length and strength of the spring 42.

When a great number of bottles are being handled and served, the motor 26 with its fan can be placed in operation to reduce the moisture content of the wiping element, and the speed of moisture removal can be further amplified by energizing the heater 29, although th device will be found to have ample capacity for all ordinary usage.

It will be understood that variations in construction and arrangement of parts, which variations are consistent with the appended claims, may be resorted to without detracting from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I claim:

1. A bottle drier comprising a resilient element having a bottle passage to restrictedly receive a bottle and to remove moisture from the peripheral surface of the bottle, and having a bottom element for cooperation with the bottom of the bottle and functioning to remove moisture from the bottom of the bottle, and in which said resilient element and said bottom element consist of absorbent material with the diameter of the bottle passage formed to a value not to exceed that of the restricted portion of the bottle.

2. A bottle drier comprising a resilient element having a bottle passage to restrictedly receive a bottle and to remove moisture from the peripheral surface of the bottle, and having a bottom element for cooperation with the bottom of the bottle and functioning to remove moisture from the bottom of the bottle, and in which passages are formed through the resilient element and the bottom element for drainage of moisture and for circulation of air for drying purposes.

3. A bottle drier comprising a resilient element having a bottle passage to restrictedly receive a bottle and to remove moisture from the peripheral surface of the bottle, and having a bottom element for cooperation with the bottom of the bottle and functioning to remove moisture from the bottom of the bottle, and in which air circulating means is associated with the drier for circulating air through the resilient element and bottom element to increase the speed of drying.

4. A bottle drier comprising a resilient element having a bottle passage to restrictedly receive a bottle and to remove moisture from the peripheral surface of the bottle, and having a bottom element for cooperation with the bottom of the bottle and functioning to remove moisture from the bottom of the bottle, and in which said resilient element and said bottom element consist of absorbent material with the diameter of the bottle passage formed to a value not to exceed that of the restricted portion of the bottle, and in which passages are formed through the resilient element and through the bottom element, for drainage of moisture and for circulation of air for drying purposes.

asthma 5. A bottle drier comprising a resilient element having a bottle passage to restrictedly receive a bottle and to remove moisture from the peripheral surface of the bottle, and having a bottom element for cooperation with the bottom of the bot-tie and functioning to remove moisture from the bottom ofthe bottle, and in which said resilient element and said bottom element consist of absorbent material with the diameter of th bottle passage formed to a value not to exceed that of the restricted portion of the bottle, and in which air circulating means is associated with the drier for circulating air through the resilient element and through the bottom element to increase the speed of drying.

6. A bottle drier comprising a resilient element having a bottle passage to restrictedly receive a bottle and to remove moisture from the peripheral surface of the bottle, and having a bottom element for cooperation with the bottom of the bottle and functioning to remove moisture from the bottom of the bottle, and in which said resilient element and said bottom element consist of absorbent material with the diameter of the bottle passage formed to a value not to exceed that of the restricted portion of the bottle, and in which air circulating means is associated with the drier for circulating air through the resilient element and through the bottom element to increase the speed of drying.

7 A bottle drier comprising a resilient element having a bottle passage to restrictedly receive a bottle and to remove moisture from the peripheral surface of the bottle, and having a bottom element for cooperation with the bottom of the bottle and functioning to remove moisture from the bottom of the bottle, and in which said resilient element and said bottom element consist of absorbent material with the diameter of the bottle passage formed to a value not to exceed that of the restricted portion of the bottle, and in which heating means is associated with said drier in drying relation to said resilient element and to said bottom element.

8. A bottle drier comprising a resilient element having a bottle passage to restrictedly receive a bottle and to remove moisture from the peripheral surface of the bottle, and having a bottom element for cooperation with the bottom of the bottle and functioning to remove moisture from the bottom of the bottle, and in which said resilient element and said bottom element consist of absorbent material, and in which air circulating means is associated with the drier for circulating air through the resilient element and through the bottom element to increase the speed of drying, and in which passages are formed through the absorbent material for drainage of moisture and for circulation of air.

9. A bottle drier comprising a resilient element having a bottle passage to restrictedly receive a bottle and to remove moisture from the peripheral surface of the bottle, and having a bottom element for cooperation with the bottom of the bottle and functioning to remove moisture from the bottom of the bottle, and in which said resilient element and said bottom element consist of absorbent material, and in which passages are formed through the absorbent material for drainage of moisture and for circulation of air, and in which air circulating means is associated with the drier for circulating air through said passages, and in which heating means is associated with said drier in drying relation to said absorbent material.

10. A bottle drier comprising a casing and an absorbent liner mounted therein and having a passage to restrictedly receive a bottle to wipe the sides of the bottle; and an absorbent bottom element to remove moisture from the bottom of the bottle when the bottle is lowered through said passage and brought into contact with said bottom element; a base for said casing and a motor having a fan and mounted in said base for circulating air through said drier, and perforations formed through said bottom and through said liner for drainage of water and for circulation of air, for drying the absorbent material.

11. A bottle drier comprising a casing and an absorbent liner mounted therein and having a passage to restrictedly receive a bottle to wipe the sides of the bottle; and an absorbent bottom element to remove moisture from the bottom of the bottle when the bottle is lowered through said passage and brought into contact with said bottom element, and heating means associated with said drier to increase the rate of drying of said absorbent material.

12. A bottle drier comprising a sleeve having walls formed of absorbent, resilient material with its interior passage restrictedly receiving a bottle from which the moisture is to be wiped and effecting wiping of the sides of the bottle with said sleeve terminating in a bottom of the same material for removing moisture from the bottom of the bottle upon contact therewith; a rigid support for said bottom and passages formed through said support, through said bottom and through said walls, for drainage and for circulation of air for drying the resilient material; said absorbent material being at least partly reconditioned and maintained against a condition of saturation by the squeezing effect created by insertion and removal of the bottle.

13. A structure as defined in claim 12, a casing for said sleeve; said rigid support forming the bottom of said sleeve; a base extending below said rigid support and having a receptacle to catch Water draining through said passages.

14. A structure as defined in claim 12; a casing for said sleeve; said rigid support forming the bottom for said casing; a motor mounted within said base and a fan for said motor; and air passages formed through said base to permit forced circulation of air through said passages by said fan.

BEN ELBOUM. 

